Large crowds to cross U.S.-Mexico border at El Paso to see pope

EL PASO, Texas, Feb 16 (Reuters) - As many as 200,000
Catholics are expected to cross four bridges from El Paso, Texas
into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Wednesday to see Pope Francis in a
massive pilgrimage likely to choke roads and immigration
offices, U.S. officials said.

The visit to the northern Mexican city has been a huge draw
in neighboring El Paso, where school districts, city government
offices and businesses plan to shut ahead of what many in the
city with a large Hispanic and Catholic population view as a
once in a lifetime chance to see the leader of the Catholic
Church.

Local estimates put the number due to cross the border at
150,000 to 200,000.

On an average weekday, 30,000 vehicles and 20,000
pedestrians cross through the El Paso ports of entry, according
to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The federal law enforcement agency said those numbers should
at least triple as crowds gather to greet the pope during his
motorcade along the streets or attend the Mass at "El Punto," a
large field near Benito Juarez Stadium.

Extra border patrol agents and security measures are in
place to keep up checks in El Paso and other parts of the
border, he added.

A day ahead of the visit, the patrons at Lucy's Cafe near
the border were buzzing about "El Papa." "We'll wave 'hola Papa'
while we work," said cook Elva Ortiz.

Businessman Stan Okes wants to avoid the papal frenzy
sweeping El Paso. "I may get out of town," Okes said. "I can
watch him on TV anywhere."

The pope is traveling to crime-plagued Ciudad Juarez on the
last stop of his six-day tour of Mexico. He will pray for
migrants and victims of violence at a Mass a few hundred feet
from the border. A platform built next to the border fence will
allow Pope Francis to address El Pasoans watching from the
United States.

The Catholic Diocese in El Paso said it gave an estimated
10,000 tickets for free to parishioners for the Papal Mass. On
some Internet sites, those tickets were selling at more than
$150.

For those who could not score a ticket for the Mass, the El
Paso Diocese created a "Two Nations, One Faith" viewing party at
the Sun Bowl Stadium, with a capacity of 50,000 people.

Through a two-way live stream broadcast, the Argentine
pontiff can view the thousands of attendees and issue a formal
blessing.